A flat-panel CRT display basically consists of an electron-emitting device and a light-emitting device that operate at low internal pressure. The electron-emitting device, commonly referred to as a cathode, contains electron-emissive elements that selectively emit electrons over a relatively wide area. The emitted electrons are directed towards light-emissive elements distributed over a corresponding area in the light-emitting device. Upon being struck by the electrons, the light-emissive elements emit light that produces an image on the viewing surface of the display.
The electron-emissive elements are conventionally situated over generally parallel emitter electrodes. In a matrix-addressed electron-emitting device that operates according to field-emission principles, generally parallel control electrodes cross over, and are electrically insulated from, the emitter electrodes. A set of electron-emissive elements are electrically coupled to each emitter electrode at each crossing with one of the control electrodes. The electron-emissive elements are exposed through openings in the control electrodes. When a suitable voltage is applied between a control electrode and an emitter electrode, the control electrode extracts electrons from the associated electron-emissive elements. An anode in the light-emitting device attracts the electrons to the light-emissive elements.
Short circuits sometime occur between the control electrodes, on one hand, and the emitter electrodes, on the other hand. The presence of a short circuit can have a very detrimental effect on the display's performance. For example, a short circuit at the crossing between a control electrode and an emitter electrode can prevent part or all of the set of electron-emissive elements associated with those two electrodes from operating properly. It would be desirable to have a way for configuring the emitter or/and control electrodes to facilitate removal of short-circuit defects.